In an image forming apparatus such as a laser printer, a paper sheet comes, while being conveyed in the apparatus, into sliding contact with the individual portions of a conveying passage so that electric charges become liable to be stored in the paper sheet. When the paper sheet thus charged is discharged onto a discharge tray, an attraction is generated by an electrostatic force between the discharge tray and the paper sheet having been discharged, thereby causing a stacking failure. In JP-A-2005-75606, the stacking failure is prevented by arranging an electricity removing brush at the discharge port of the paper sheet thereby to remove electricity from the paper sheet discharged to the discharge tray.
On the other hand, an image forming apparatus is equipped with a holding member for guiding the paper sheet discharged from the discharge port, onto the discharge tray thereby to improve the stackability of the paper sheets. Another known image forming apparatus is equipped with a detection member, which is displaced when it abuts against an uppermost paper sheet stacked on the discharge tray, thereby to detect the stack of the paper sheets.
In the image forming apparatus of the related art, the electricity removing brush, the holding member and the detection member are disposed independently of one another. This raises problems, such an increase in the number of parts and an accompanying rise in the cost.